Telecommunications, Internet & Media
Arnold & Porter's Telecommunications, Internet & Media team practices where law, technology and the marketplace are unsettled. Since the firm's founding by Paul Porter, a former Federal Communications Commission chairman, our team has provided strategic counsel and found creative ways to help our clients achieve their goals. In addition to guiding companies through some of the largest mergers in the industry, our attorneys advise both terrestrial wireless and satellite carriers in novel spectrum transactions, counsel clients on obtaining favorable regulatory treatment for new technologies, provide regulatory advice to lenders and investors, and advise media clients on First Amendment and regulatory issues. We bring the benefits of a seasoned telecommunications team with the coordinated resources of a global firm.
Business and Technical Savvy: Our in-depth understanding of our clients' business imperatives and technology enables us to develop and execute on practical legal strategies and tactics.
Enduring Client Relationships: We have advised AT&T and its predecessor SBC Communications for more than 25 years, successfully guiding the organizations through regulatory approvals for dozens of business-transformative transactions.
Well Connected With the Government: Our team includes attorneys who have held senior positions dealing with communications policy in government agencies such as the DOJ, CIA, NSA, and FTC.
Experience Highlights
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AT&T, as regulatory counsel, in matters related to FCC conditions on its acquisition of DIRECTV in 2015, including the preparation of semi-annual compliance reports to the FCC.
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Private equity firm in monitoring and advising on the federal regulatory issues related to Ligado Networks' spectrum license to use L-band spectrum to build a terrestrial wireless network.
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L3 Technologies Inc., as FCC regulatory counsel, in its merger with Harris Corporation.
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AT&T, as antitrust and regulatory counsel, in leading the effort to obtain US Department of Justice clearance for the $85 billion AT&T-Time Warner merger: successful defense of the Department of Justice's lawsuit to block the transaction; and the coordination of work with local antitrust and regulatory counsel to secure approvals in nearly 30 other countries, including the negotiation of conditional approvals in Brazil, Chile and Mexico.
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KCETLink Media Group, as lead FCC counsel, in a merger between KCETLink Media Group and PBS SoCal, the two primary PBS stations in the central and southern California markets.
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AT&T, as antitrust and regulatory counsel, in leading the effort to obtain US Department of Justice clearance and Federal Communications Commission approval for the sale of its Puerto Rico and US Virgin Island assets to Liberty Latin America.
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Educational nonprofit organization (public television station) in negotiating the sale of its 2.5 GHz BRS EBS spectrum licenses to T-Mobile Sprint and obtaining FCC approval for the sale.
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Ad hoc group of term lenders to iHeartMedia Inc. in the restructuring of approximately $20 billion of debt issued by iHeartMedia and its affiliates.
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Ad hoc group of first lien lenders to Cumulus Media Inc. in the restructuring of the radio, media and special event company.
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Technology company in advising on 5G wireless standard matters.
